Are the 97 bikes especially special?
Admittedly all Fat Ti’s are pretty sweet, but what’s especially sweet about he 97 frames?
Hi, my friend I would like to answer your question.
Having made some premises, that is, I apologize for my terrible English as an automatic translator….Sorryyyyyy
that every seller can ask the price he wants and that every buyer can offer what he wants, even if this can lead to requests or offers that may seem disrespectful, crazy or out of market, the "market" price is often made by the desire that each of us has for a certain component and by the auction that can be created to have it, in the past I have spent crazy amounts for some components, aware of the fact that perhaps I was spending too much, as instead I have refused fairly honest offers for some components because in my head I think they could be worth more.
Any object that is for sale or at auction, unless it is unique and by unique I mean unique and not rare, can sometimes reach very high prices and sometimes much lower prices, it all depends on the moment.
Having said that, as you know I had a 1993 Fat Ti in perfect condition, with its steel Fat fork, which I then exchanged for another MTB that I wanted at all costs, I can only tell you that in terms of construction, number of pieces produced, and for other various reasons, the best Fat Tis in Titanium are those from the beginning of production, and are also the most sought after (they are also rarer because they are built in fewer pieces) and have a higher collector's value, I can tell you that the 1993 ones are truly a delight for the eyes, even though I have several Merlins, I believe that in terms of design and pure craftsmanship, the first Fat Tis have no equals.
If a friend of mine wanted advice on which Fat Ti to look for, buy and put in his collection, I would have no doubts and would advise him to buy a 1993 Fat Ti.
I hope I have managed to express my concept despite my terrible English.
Luca.
especially about over paying for rare components ( im very guilty of that in the past but who hasnt ? ) but even IROBOT said himself on FAT COG, that the pinnacle of his welding skills is the 1994 FAT Ti. No head tube gusset or BB sleeve which were prone to cracking ‘on occasion’ in the very early 90s frames. FCC also honoured any warranty claims at that time, unlike Gary Klein apparently. I owned an ex FCC 93 Ti factory race bike, still beautiful but more a Michelangelo’s Moses compared to his 94 Ti, his Pieta 
. All imo of course. Some prefer the 93 but they all ride amazingly and thats the main point. Larger frames are rarer and this 97 Ti has a canti bridge unlike others giving you brake choice options and also stiffening braking in the rear. The correct geometry Morati Ti forks for this frame have sold for ~ £1500
